How to Get Rid of Wasps

Wasps are an extremely diverse array of insects with around 30,000 identified species. Wasps come in basically all colors from the common yellow to brown, metallic blue and bright red. Wasps built nest almost at any location, it may be near your home or garden, inside air bricks, chimneys and just about anywhere.

Wasps are divided into two primary subgroups i.e. social and solitary. Wasps can be a dangerous pest to have in and around your home. At times, these flying insects can also sting you causing lots of pain and discomfort. If you are allergic to their stings it can lead to severe injuries.

Now, you may be thinking How to get rid of wasps? Or How to keep the wasps away from home? Using pesticides for getting rid of wasps can be a solution. However, chemicals used in pesticides are harmful to the environment. Also, if you have kids at home, the use of chemicals might affect their health.

Therefore, the best solution is to resort to natural ways to keep the wasps off your home. This will save your money and will also help in preventing any health complications in your home because of chemicals.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Wasps

So How to get rid of a wasp? Or How to get rid of bees and wasps naturally? as some may call it. The answer to this question lies in a wide list of home remedies given below which will help you to remove waspsfrom your home naturally.

1. Vinegar for Killing Wasps

Vinegar along with its hundreds of uses is a useful remedy to get rid of wasps. Vinegar is a strong smelling chemical and helps in attracting bees or wasps to traps.

Method 1: Apple Cider Vinegar Trap

What you need:

2-liter plastic pop bottle (empty) – 1

Sweetened water – 1 liter

Apple cider vinegar – ½ cup

Jam – 1 tbsp

Dish soap – ¼ tsp

Razor Knife – 1

Tape – 2 pieces (small)

What you need to do:

Take a 2-litre plastic bottle and cut the top just above the shoulder by using a razor knife.

Throw away the screw top.

Fill the bottle halfway with 1-liter water.

Now add ½ cup of apple cider vinegar along with ¼ tsp of dish soap.

Coat the neck with 1 tbsp of jam, invert it and set back to the bottle.

Use 2 small pieces of tape to hold it in place.

Vinegar and jam will make good bait for wasps to enter the trap and they will find it difficult to get out.

Most will drop into the water and drown.

Empty the trap daily to eliminate any chance of survival of wasps.

Repeat this process 3 times a week to get rid of wasps quickly.

Method 2: Wasp Spray using White Vinegar

This remedy will give you a perfect solution to the query, How to get rid of wasps? White vinegar is one of the best natural options for killing wasps.

What you need:

White vinegar – 1 cup

Water – 1 cup

Spray bottle – 1

What you need to do:

Make a solution by mixing 1 cup of water and an equal amount of white vinegar in a spray bottle.

Keep the spray bottle with you when you roam in the yard or around the house.

Spray it on offending wasps as and when you spot them.

Do it regularly for killing wasps that are languishing at your home, yard or in a garden.

2. Lemon & Cloves

Wasps hate the scent of the combination of lemon & cloves. It might be a good idea to set the combination of lemon & cloves in your house to scare off wasps from your home.

What you need

Lemon – 1

Cloves – 20

Saucer – 1

What you need to do:

Take 1 lemon and cut it in half.

Insert about 10 cloves in each half of the lemon.

Put them in a saucer and place it in the area where the wasp frequents the most.

The wasps will go away because of the scent of lemon & cloves.

Repeat this process regularly to get rid of wasps naturally.

3. The Jar Trap

Creating your own wasp trap is an effective solution for combating wasps. You can use a jar lying empty in your kitchen for this purpose.

What you need:

Jar (large) – 1

Orange juice – 2 cups (enough to fill half a jar)

Raspberry jam – 1 tbsp

Drill – 1

What you need to do:

Remove the lid from the jar and make a hole of your pinky finger size in a jar lid by using a drill.

Now fill half of the jar with 2 cups of orange juice.

Take 1 tbsp of raspberry jam and use it to cover the inside of the lid.

Seal jar with the lid and place it at the back of the yard or at a location away from people.

The sweet raspberry jam and the orange juice will attract the wasps and they will crawl in the jar through the lid and eventually drown in the juice.

Wait till it is dark before you empty the jar of its contents and then refill the jar with a fresh juice and jam.

Do this once or twice a day till the wasps are killed completely.

4. How to get Rid of Wasps Using Boric Acid

Boric acid is an ideal remedy for wasp problem. Though slowly acting, boric acid can be used to kill different types of pests, as long as the pests make contact with the borax or boric powder.

What you need:

Detergent bottle (empty) – 1

Boric acid powder – 1 to 2 cups (enough to fill the detergent bottle)

1/8 –inch drill bit -1

Work gloves – 1 set

Protective goggles – 1

Caulk – 1 tube

What you need to do:

Wear a long sleeve shirt and long jeans along with shoes to guard yourself against wasp stings.

Also, wear protective goggles and work gloves so that you do not come in contact with the boric acid.

Now take a 1/8-inch drill bit and drill a few holes in your wall around the holes where you see wasp traffic.

Take an empty detergent bottle and fill it completely with boric acid powder.

Put the lid on the bottle and lift the tube tip to the “open” position.

Next turn the bottle so that the tip faces the holes you drilled.

Press the bottle to put boric acid into the holes.

Wasps will die after coming in contact with the boric acid powder.

Once you are sure that all the wasps are killed seal the holes with some caulk which will stop future wasp infestations

Repeat this process twice a week till all the wasps invading your home are killed.

5. Spicy Spray using Chili Pepper

As per the research, wasps are not fond of chili peppers and will move away from your house. The reason they do not like chili pepper is not clear, but pepper does work.

What you need:

Spicy chili peppers (chopped) – 2

Water – 3 cups

Spray bottle – 1

What you need to do:

Add 2 chopped spicy chili peppers in 3 cups of boiling water.

Continue boiling for 2 to 3 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Allow the mixture to set and cool for 30 minutes.

Now take a spray bottle and strain the mixture in it.

Spray the solution directly on the wasps if they are wandering in your house.

You can also spray it in the wasp-infested areas.

Use this remedy regularly to get rid of wasps in your house.

6. Sliced Cucumber Remedy for Wasps Removal

This is another useful remedy which you can resort to for preventing wasps from invading your home. Cucumber consists of an acid property that wasps do not like.

What you need:

Cucumber – 2

Knife – 1

What you need to do:

Take 2 cucumbers and cut up a few slices by using a knife.

Now place this slices in the areas of your house or in a lawn where wasps are present in large numbers.

Wasps will stay away because of an acidic property present in cucumber which they do not like.

Do this activity regularly for getting rid of wasps from your house.

7. Liquid Soap and Water Combination

Red wasps are social insects about an inch long having a reddish-brown color of its head and body. Red wasps tend to nest in close proximity to people thereby putting us at risk for stings.

The soap and water combination can turn out to be an excellent remedy to keep away the dangerous red wasps. This is because when you spray the mixture of soap and water on the wasps, the soap gets stuck to their wings and weighs them down. Eventually, the wasps will suffocate.

Method 1: How to Get Rid of Red Wasps naturally using Soap and Water Combo

What you need:

Water – 2 cups

Liquid soap -2 tbsp

Spray bottle – 1

What you need to do:

Make a solution by mixing 2 tbsp of liquid soap in 2 cups of water.

Now pour this solution into a spray bottle.

Go to the nearby red wasps nest with a spray bottle.

Spray it directly on red wasps nest from a safe distance.

Do this activity to eradicate wasps from your area naturally.

Note: Never stand below the wasp nest while spraying this natural pesticide.

Method 2: How to get rid of wasps and hornets using liquid soap and water

This remedy is not only limited to red wasps. You can use this remedy for other types of wasps and hornets as well.

What you need:

Water – 3 cups

Liquid soap – 2 tbsp

Vessel (small) – 1

What you need to do:

Take a small vessel and mix 2 tbsp of liquid soap with 3 cups of water.

Line your doors and windows by using this liquid.

This will prevent the entry of wasps in your house.

Use this remedy to get a satisfactory answer to the question above.

8. Cinnamon Powder for Wasps Relief

This is one of the simplest and cheapest remedies for wasps relief. Wasps do not like the scent of the eugenol oil present in cinnamon. Therefore, Cinnamon powder can be used effectively for getting rid of wasps.

What you need:

Cinnamon Powder – 4 to 5 tbsp

What you need to do:

Sprinkle cinnamon powder near wasp nests and also along the other wasp infested areas.

Do this regularly for at least 14 days.

The regular sprinkling of cinnamon powder will force the wasps to move somewhere else.

9. Peppermint Oil to Ward off Wasps

Peppermint oil is a potent remedy for wasps. The reason being, that the wasps do not like the smell of mint. Peppermint oil mixed with water and unscented shampoo can be a good natural wasp repellent.

What you need:

Peppermint oil – 1 tbsp

Water – 2 cups

Unscented shampoo – 1 tbsp

Spray bottle – 1

What you need to do:

Make a solution by mixing 1 tbsp of peppermint oil with equal amount of unscented shampoo in 2 cups of water.

Now fill a spray bottle with this mixture.

Sprinkle on areas and surfaces frequented by wasps.

Do this regularly for a week and wasps will leave your home and migrate somewhere else.

10. Baby Powder

This is crazy but true. Baby powder can actually turn out to be an effective remedy for wasp control. This is because; the talc present in baby powder can repel wasps.

What you need:

Baby powder or Talcum powder – 3 to 4 tbsp

What you need to do:

Take 3 to 4 tbsp of baby powder or talcum powder.

Sprinkle it on the areas frequented by wasps.

Follow this procedure daily to get rid of wasps.

11. Natural Wasps Spray using Essential Oils

The combination of various essential oils can be a useful remedy to repel wasps from your premises. It is the greenest, cheapest & one of the most efficient way for getting rid of wasps.

12. Bay Leaves to Repel Wasps

Bay leaves act as a natural pest control and can be used for repelling insects like cockroaches, fleas, wasps, and flies. The pungent scent of bay leaves is the main reason that deters wasps. The bay leaves consist of essential oils like myrcene and eugenol which may also keep the wasps away.

What you need:

Bay leaves – 10 to 12

What you need to do:

Take 10 to 12 leaves and spread them in the areas where you most often see wasps.

Do this regularly till the wasps stay away because of the pungent scent and essential oils present in bay leaves.

Replace bay leaves every week as the pungent odor of the bay leaves may lessen and lose its effectiveness.

This method is a useful remedy to get rid of wasps naturally.

How to Get Rid of Wasps Nests

After looking at various natural remedies to get rid of wasps, now let’s have a look at some other options for combating one of the natures’ most feared and gruesome creatures. The best way to stop a wasp problem is to destroy the wasp’s population by getting rid of established wasp nests.

Before you tackle the nest, it’s important to know about the species of wasps you are dealing with. The three main types of wasps you have to counter are as follows:-

Paper wasps: Paper wasps have long bodies and long legs and build nests which are large and exposed with the combs clearly visible. Their nests are like an upside down umbrella and are usually constructed in sheltered areas like the eaves of a house or the end of an open pipe. These wasps attacked only when they feel threatened and their sting can be extremely painful & dangerous.

Yellow Jackets: They have thick black antennae and shorter legs as compared to paper wasps. Yellow jackets build papery-looking, covered-in-nets and their preferred locations are enclosed spaces like wall voids or cavities in the ground. These jackets can sting you multiple times and attack in swarms.

Hornets: Hornets are the largest type of social wasps and are identified by the white markings on its head and thorax. Some hornets are brown with orange markings. They build paper nests mainly in tree trunks and wall cavities.

Planning & Safety Measures while Attacking a Wasp Nest

Wear protecting clothing like long jeans, socks, and boots & preferably a sweater with the hood pulled over your head and gloves. Also, wrap a scarf around the lower half of your face and wear goggles.

Never use a ladder to reach a high wasps’ nest. This is because if the swarm of wasps flies towards you while disturbing the nest you are likely to fall & get seriously injured.

It is important to destroy wasp nests as early in the year as possible. This is because wasp colony is smaller and less aggressive during this period. Plus, if you manage to kill the queen wasp, you did not worry about new nest built that year.

If you are planning to get rid of a wasps nest, the best time to destroy it is at night. Wasps are less active during the night so their reaction time is slower which in turn makes them less aggressive.

It is also vital to figure out an escape route before you attack the wasp’s nest. After you sprinkle the nest the wasps will quickly start to come out and may attack you in a group. Therefore, you will need a quick exit route to avoid this situation.

Wasp Nest Destruction

Are plenty of angry wasps swarming around your home? The main reason can be a wasps nest in your premises. The natural methods given below will help you in getting rid of wasps present in your backyard, lawn, garden etc.

1. Use Boiling Water

If you are not a fan of spraying chemicals then resorting to boiling water is one of the best options to get rid of ground nests in your yard.

What you need:

Boiling water – 1 pot (large)

What you need to do:

Pour enough water to fill a large pot and boil it.

Wait till dusk or night and take the large pot of boiling water to the wasp’s nest.

Empty the entire pot of water into the nest and rush back in your house.

Follow this procedure 2 to 3 times to finish off the entire nest.

2. How to Get Rid of Wasp’s Nests using Soapy Water

A simple solution of soap and water can be an efficient natural remedy for killing wasps. The soap water coats the wasp’s wings to prevent them from flying and eventually drowns them.

A) Soap Water for Ground Nests

What you need:

Water – ½ bucket

Dish soap – ½ bucket

Bucket – 1

What you need to do:

Fill a large bucket with half water and half dish soap.

Wait until the night and dump entire bucket contents down into the nest and get back quickly in the house.

Slowly the wasp’s will start dying because of soapy water.

Use this mixture 2 to 3 times to kill the entire nest.

B) Soap Water for High Wasp’s Nest

What you need:

Water – ½ bucket

Dish soap – ½ bucket

Super soaker water gun – 1

Bucket – 1

What you need to do:

Mix ½ water and ½ dish soap in a bucket and suck it up with a super soaker water gun.

Go to the area where the net has been constructed with the water gun and spray on the nest.

Try to make it as wet as possible before running back in the house.

Do this 2 to 3 times to finish off the entire nest.

C) Soap Water to Get Rid of a Large Wasp Nest in a Tree

You cannot perform this activity alone. You need your friend or a family member to join you in this process.

What you need:

Water – ½ bucket

Dish soap – ½ bucket

Large bucket (with a lid) – 1

Note: Bucket should be large enough to hold the nest

What you need to do:

Fill a large bucket having a lid with ½ water and ½ dish soap.

Go at night and hold the bucket directly below the nest.

Now tell your friend to cut the nest off the branch

The wasp’s nest will fall down in the bucket directly below the nest.

Shut the lid of the bucket immediately and make sure that it is sealed

Keep it sealed for a week to ensure that all the wasps have drowned.

Remove the nest out of the bucket and bury it to prevent any remaining wasps from coming back to the nest.

3. Diatomaceous Earth for Grounded Nests

Diatomaceous earth refers to the fossilized remains of microscopic shells developed by one-celled plants called Diatoms. It occurs naturally and does not cause harm to an environment. However, diatomaceous earth helps in killing wasps by puncturing its exoskeleton and absorbing body fluids effectively thereby, dying them to death.

What you need:

Diatomaceous earth powder – 5 to 6 tbsp

What you need to do:

Take 5 to 6 tbsp of diatomaceous powder and dumped it into the wasp’s nest.

Do this activity only during the night when the wasps are sleeping.

Now run back to the safety of your house once you have dumped the diatomaceous powder in the wasp’s nest.

This procedure requires 2 to 3 applications to remove the entire nest.

4. Fake Nest to Get Rid of Wasp’s

Wasp’s are territorial creatures and if they see what they think are another wasp’s nest; they won’t build a nest within 200 yards of it. So it is a good idea to hang up a fake wasp nest in your backyard or a front yard to prevent wasps from building nests around your home.

The best part is you can build your own wasp’s nest. By referring to methods given below your job will be much easier.

Method 1: Fake Wasp’s Nest by Using a Balloon

What you need:

Balloon – 1

String ball – 1

Glue – 1 bottle

Bucket – 1

Water – ½ cup

Scissors – 1

Straight pin – 1

Newspaper – 1

Gray paint – 1 bottle

What you need to do:

Take a balloon and blow it to a decently large size and tie it closed.

Tie a string between the knot and the inflated section of the balloon.

Now mix water and glue. Proportions should vary with the thickness of the glue, but we need more glue than water so that the end mixture is not thick or runny.

Put the glue and water mixture in a bucket.

Next cut the newspaper pages into strips approximately 1 inch by 1 foot.

Dip a newspaper strip into the bucket containing glue and water mixture and shake it loosely over the bucket.

Place the strip on the balloon so that it lays flat.

Continue adding the strips till you cover the entire balloon and leave the long end of the string poking out of the newspaper.

Allow it to dry overnight.

Paint gray color to the newspaper balloon and wait for the paint to dry. You need to do this in sections in order to cover the whole balloon.

Puncture the balloon inside the newspaper by using a straight pin and your fake nest is ready.

Tie the fake nest to your house, a tree or any other object in your backyard.

Wasp’s will stop visiting your premises once they see the fake nest hanging to your house or to a tree in a backyard.

Method 2: Fake Wasp’s Nest by using a Paper Lunch Bag

What you need:

Newspaper – 1

Plastic shopping bag – 1

Paper lunch bag – 1

What you need to do:

Take some pages from a newspaper and crumple in balls.

Stuff these balls in a plastic shopping bag and tie closed.

Now put these in a paper lunch bag and your fake nest is complete.

Hang it in the corners of your home or yard or in other places where wasps may like to build their nests.

These fake nests will stop the wasps from building nests in and around your home.

Additional Tips

Apart from the natural remedies listed above you can also take help of the various additional tips to get rid of wasps:

Remove & Cover the Food Items: Wasp’s are attracted to protein and sweet foods. Any food left outside like pet food, picnic scraps or food left open in garbage containers should be removed or covered. Also, remove any fallen fruit rotting on the ground.

Do not Swat the Wasp’s: Avoid swatting or squashing a wasp as it is counterproductive. This is because when you squash a wasp a chemical (pheromone) is released which attracts and incites other nearby wasps.

Avoid wearing bright clothes: If you are wearing clothes with a bright color and floral patterns then there is a chance that you may be attracting a curious wasp that is in search for nectar.

Minimize Use of Perfumes: It is better not to use perfumes with strong scents as the wasp’s can easily get attracted to the strong & sweet smell of perfumes.

After reading in detail about how to get rid of wasp or how to get rid of wasp’s by making use of various natural remedies you might be thinking about saying no to pest control which involves the use of chemicals that affects the environment.

If you are convinced, you can use any of these natural remedies for getting rid of wasp’s. All the above-mentioned remedies are cheap, efficient and easy to use. Also, let us know which remedy worked best for you.

Hey all, I am Suzanne, I love collecting new information on natural cure for health ailments. I always feel that nature has remedies for all our health problems, we just have to use it in the right way. I am DIY pursuer and thus keep trying natural things to get rid of nasty diseases. You will be amazed to know about the treasure mother earth has and how it can help us improve our health. Join me in a journey which take you closer to nature and keep you healthy.